Kazakhstan

lowest point:

Vpadina Kaundy -132 m

highest point:

Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

total:

35 cu km/yr (2%/17%/82%)

per capita:

2,360 cu m/yr (2000)

• radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals;
• industrial pollution is severe in some cities;
• because the two main rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts;
• these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms;
• pollution in the Caspian Sea;
• soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices

party to:

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

• landlocked;
• Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome;
• in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

at birth:

1.058 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.53 male(s)/female

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

noun:

Kazakhstani(s)

adjective:

Kazakhstani

conventional long form:

Republic of Kazakhstan

conventional short form:

Kazakhstan

local long form:

Qazaqstan Respublikasy

local short form:

Qazaqstan

former:

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

name:

Astana

geographic coordinates:

51 10 N, 71 25 E

time difference:

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

note: Kazakhstan is divided into two time zones

chief of state:

President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December 1991)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 10 January 2007);
• First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak SHUKEYEV (since 3 March 2009), Deputy Prime Ministers Yerbol ORYNBAYEV (since 29 October 2007), Aset ISEKESHEV (since 12 March 2010)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held on 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2012);
• prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, with Mazhilis approval;
• note - constitutional amendments of May 2007 shortened the presidential term from seven years to five years and established a two-consecutive-term limit;
• changes will take effect after NAZARBAYEV's term ends;
• he, and only he, is allowed to run for president indefinitely

election results:

Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 91.1%, Zharmakhan A. TUYAKBAY 6.6%, Alikhan M. BAYMENOV 1.6%

• Adilet (Justice) [Maksut NARIKBAYEV, Zeynulla ALSHIMBAYEV, Serik ABDRAHMANOV, Bakhytbek AKHMETZHAN, Yerkin ONGARBAYEV, Tolegan SYDYKOV] (formerly Democratic Party of Kazakhstan);
• Agrarian and Industrial Union of Workers Block or AIST (Agrarian Party and Civic Party);
• Ak Zhol Party (Bright Path) [Alikhan BAYMENOV];
• Alga [Vladimir KOZLOV] (unregistered);
• Auyl (Village) [Gani KALIYEV];
• Azat (Freedom) Party [Bolat ABILOV] (formerly True Ak Zhol Party);
• Azat NSDP [co-chaired by Bolat ABILOV and Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY];
• Azat and NSDP united in 2009, but the authorities have refused to register Azat NSDP as a single party;
• Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN];
• Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV];
• National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY];
• Nur-Otan [Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV] (the Agrarian, Asar, and Civic parties merged with Otan);
• Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV];
• Rukhaniyat (Spirituality) [Altynshash ZHAGANOVA]

• Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA];
• Almaty Helsinki Committee [Ninel FOKINA];
• Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN];
• For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS (jailed), Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV];
• Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director];
• Pan-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY];
• Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman];
• Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM];
• Transparency International [Sergey ZLOTNIKOV]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Yerlan IDRISSOV

chancery:

1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 232-5488

FAX:

[1] (202) 232-5845

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND

embassy:

Ak Bulak 4, Str. 23-22, Building #3, Astana 010010

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[7] (7172) 70-21-00

FAX:

[7] (7172) 34-08-90

• a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a sky blue background;
• the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern "koshkar-muiz" (the horns of the ram) in gold;
• the blue color is of religious significance to the Turkic peoples of the country, and so symbolizes cultural and ethnic unity;
• it also represents the endless sky as well as water;
• the sun, a source of life and energy, exemplifies wealth and plenitude;
• the sun's rays are shaped like grain, which is the basis of abundance and prosperity;
• the eagle has appeared on the flags of Kazakh tribes for centuries and represents freedom, power, and the flight to the future

name:

"Menin Qazaqstanim" (My Kazakhstan)

lyrics/music:

Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV

note: adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics

agriculture:

31.5%

industry:

18.4%

services:

50% (2006 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.3%

highest 10%:

26.5% (2004 est.)

• oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel;
• tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials

general assessment:

inherited an outdated telecommunications network from the Soviet era requiring modernization

domestic:

• intercity by landline and microwave radio relay;
• number of fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line teledensity now roughly 25 per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular usage is increasing and the subscriber base now is roughly 100 per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 7;
• international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2008)

• state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks;
• nearly all nationwide TV networks are wholly or partly owned by the government;
• some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized and are controlled by the president's daughter, who heads the Khabar Agency that runs multiple TV and radio stations;
• a number of privately-owned TV stations;
• households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media;
• a small number of commercial radio stations operating along with state-run radio stations (2008)

• condensate 658 km;
• gas 11,146 km;
• oil 10,376 km;
• refined products 1,095 km (2009)

total:

15,082 km

country comparison to the world: 19

broad gauge:

15,082 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2008)

total:

93,612 km

country comparison to the world: 51

paved:

84,100 km

unpaved:

9,512 km (2008)

total:

8

country comparison to the world: 123

by type:

petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned:

1 (Ireland 1) (2010)

• 18 years of age for compulsory military service;
• conscript service obligation - 2 years;
• minimum age for volunteers NA (2004)

males age 16-49:

4,176,999

females age 16-49:

4,202,422 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

2,902,859

females age 16-49:

3,543,467 (2010 est.)

male:

133,884

female:

127,415 (2010 est.)

• Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan;
• field demarcation of the boundaries with Turkmenistan commenced in 2005, and with Uzbekistan in 2004;
• demarcation is scheduled to get underway with Russia in 2007;
• demarcation with China was completed in 2002;
• creation of a seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains under discussion;
• equidistant seabed treaties have been ratified with Azerbaijan and Russia in the Caspian Sea, but no resolution has been made on dividing the water column among any of the littoral states

• significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine);
• limited government eradication of illicit crops;
• transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe;
• significant consumer of opiates